Radioisotope and Advanced Materials Suite (RAMS)

A national facility for radioactive and advanced materials characterisation
RAMS lab

Radioisotope and Advanced Materials Suite (RAMS)

A national facility for radioactive and advanced materials characterisation
The Radioisotope and Advanced Materials Suite (RAMS) is a newly refurbished, radiation-licensed research facility that brings together advanced materials characterisation, radioisotope science, geochemistry, environmental radioactivity, and applied analytical science, enabling the facility to support a far wider range of projects than a single-discipline laboratory. 
Our research is people-led and problem-driven, with instrumentation deployed in response to real scientific, environmental, and industrial questions in a single, integrated environment.
RAMS uniquely enables the safe handling, preparation, and characterisation of both non-active and radioactive materials, supporting fundamental research, applied industrial consultancy, and specialist training for work in regulated environments.
Designed to support projects spanning nuclear materials, environmental contamination, energy materials, porous and particulate systems, and elemental and radiochemical analysis, RAMS provides a rare end-to-end capability from sample preparation through to high-resolution structural, elemental, and radiological measurement.

Why RAMS is different

RAMS is not a standard materials laboratory with a radiation badge.
It is a purpose-designed radiation facility embedded within a broader advanced materials ecosystem.
What makes RAMS distinctive:
  • Licensed to handle radioactive materials alongside conventional samples
  • Dedicated gamma spectroscopy and liquid scintillation counting capability
  • Large nuclear material holding capacity suitable for sustained research and consultancy programmes
  • Direct integration with porosity, crystallographic, and elemental analysis techniques
  • Embedded in a live research environment, not a closed service laboratory
This combination allows researchers and industrial partners to ask questions that cannot be addressed in non-licensed laboratories, while maintaining scientific depth and analytical flexibility.
RAMS lab D6 phaser
RAMS lab liquid nitrogen
RAMS lab furnace observation window
Samples in the RAMS lab
 
 
 

Core analytical capabilities: advanced materials characterisation

RAMS supports detailed physical, structural, and elemental characterisation of complex materials, and houses a broad multidisciplinary team that can support a wide range of research and consultancy projects:

Nuclear materials and advanced porous systems
Led by Dr Katie Jones and Dr Giuliano Laudone, this theme focuses on:
  • Nuclear graphite characterisation, ageing, and recycling
  • Porous materials, pore-network analysis, and fluid–solid interactions
  • Experimental characterisation and modelling for advanced materials used in energy, infrastructure, and environmental applications.
This work integrates helium pycnometry, gas adsorption, mercury porosimetry, XRD, image analysis and computational modelling with radiological methods where required, supporting both research and consultancy in regulated environments. 
The research builds on long-standing industrial partnerships within the facility, where sustained funding capture and collaborative programmes with organisations such as EDF Energy have directly shaped the development of RAMS' analytical infrastructure, enabling UK reactor life-extension programmes and contributed evidence to national nuclear safety cases, while more recently underpinning leadership in the ENLIGHT programme, a major UK initiative focused on the recycling and regeneration of nuclear graphite.

Environmental radioactivity and tracer science
A major pillar of RAMS is the internationally recognised work led by Professor Will Blake, whose research has shaped much of the facility's historic and current gamma spectroscopy activity.
This theme includes:
  • Environmental radionuclide tracing (e.g. sediment, soil, and catchment studies)
  • Low-level gamma spectrometry for environmental and geomorphological applications
  • Radiotracer approaches to understand landscape processes and pollutant transport
Will's work has historically driven external collaborations, project funding, and multi-institutional research programmes, and continues to bring national and international collaborations partners to °µÍø½âÃÜ specifically for gamma spectroscopy capability and expertise. The University's researchers have collaborated with the Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition section of the International Atomic Energy Agency within coordinated research projects and technical cooperation programmes since 2008. These have focused on the application of nuclear and isotopic techniques in food and agriculture and wider river basin applications.

Geological and applied geochemistry
RAMS supports internationally relevant research in the geochemistry of Earth system processes, particularly where petrology, geochemistry, and elemental analysis intersect. Dr Michelle Harris specialises in understanding and quantifying hydrothermal circulation through the oceanic crust. Her research integrates:
  • Petrology and novel imaging spectroscopy
  • Geochemical and elemental analysis of ocean crust and ophiolite samples
  • Samples recovered through scientific ocean drilling programmes
This research aims to address key questions surrounding the timing, distribution, and magnitude of hydrothermal fluid fluxes in both the upper and lower oceanic crust, providing insights into long-term Earth–ocean evolution. Within RAMS, this work aligns strongly with high-precision elemental characterisation (WDXRF) and complementary analytical techniques, supporting both fundamental Earth science research and applied geochemical investigations relevant to environmental baselines, resource studies, and consultancy-led projects.

Materials for energy, catalysis and the circular economy
Led by Dr Lee Durndell and Dr Vannia Dos Santos Durndell, this theme tackles global sustainability through four key pillars, supported by RAMS:
  • Engineering green fuels: Creating advanced catalysts that transform renewable resources into sustainable aviation and shipping fuels to decarbonise global transport.
  • Charging the future: Developing next-generation battery materials and technologies for automotive and marine applications, alongside "smart" charging solutions, like world-first vessel-to-grid (V2G) systems, that turn ships into mobile energy hubs.
  • Ending waste through chemistry: Developing circular solutions to reclaim valuable raw materials from hard-to-recover waste, including end-of-life wind turbine blades, plastics and EV batteries.
  • Cleaner environments: Designing high-performance nanomaterials to extract pollutants from air and water, supporting planetary health and sustainable healthcare.
Our capabilities
We provide a total-system overview of nanomaterial performance, integrating high-resolution surface analysis (Raman, SEM/TEM, XRF) with thermal and molecular characterisation (TGA, FT-IR, chromatography). Combined with gas adsorption, X-ray diffraction and mercury porosimetry, this suite enables the precise validation required for high-level industrial application and fundamental research. 
Impact and policy
Supported by funding from UKRI and , our work bridges the gap between the laboratory and national policy. Through strategic partnerships with EDF Energy, National Grid, the NHS, Sagetech Medical, Recycle It Global and the Department for Transport, we translate scientific innovation into real-world industrial standards and actions. As Technical Lead, Dr Vannia Dos Santos Durndell ensures all research is delivered within a robust, compliant, and industry-ready framework.

Nuclear waste, radiological risk and wider nuclear capability
RAMS' broader nuclear research strength is reinforced through expertise in nuclear waste, environmental impact, and radiological risk, supported by Dr Matt Bailey Ross and Professor Awadhesh Jha.
This theme contributes to:
  • Nuclear waste and contaminated material studies
  • Environmental and biological impacts of radiation exposure
  • Supporting evidence for nuclear safety, regulation, and policy
Together, this expertise strengthens RAMS' ability to support holistic nuclear research programmes, spanning materials, measurement, environmental behaviour, and biological impact – an increasingly important perspective for industry and regulators alike.
 
 
 
 
 

Training the next generation

RAMS is a teaching-integrated research facility, ensuring students graduate with hands-on experience of real analytical instrumentation and an understanding of how science operates in regulated environments.
Undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral researchers train directly on advanced analytical instrumentation and learn what it is like to work within radiation-controlled laboratories under expert supervision. This allows them to develop key practical skills aligned with nuclear, environmental, analytical, and materials science careers. 
This approach directly supports the UK skills pipeline, producing graduates who are technically capable, safety-aware, and industry-ready.
Researcher working with a research student in RAMS
Test tubes in RAMS
RAMS particles
RAMS radioactive material
 
 
 
 
 

Related courses

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Partnerships and regional impact

RAMS works closely with the °µÍø½âÃÜ Electron Microscopy Centre (PEMC), offering complementary capabilities in micro- and nano-scale imaging and analysis. Together, the facilities provide a powerful, joined-up route from structure to chemistry to radioactivity, supporting both research and consultancy workflows.
The facility is also embedded within the ecosystem, supporting regional collaboration and access to partner institutions and specialist infrastructure at discounted prices.
RAMS underpins the University's growing partnership with and the delivery of the Going Nuclear CPD programme, reflecting a shared commitment to:
  • Regional nuclear skills development
  • Workforce upskilling and retraining
  • Supporting growth in the South West's nuclear sector
 

Research and support team

 

Our facilities for your research and commercial activities

At RAMS: 
  • harness specialised technical, strategic, and operational expertise and consultancy for your industry
  • collaborate on research projects
  • receive contract analysis
Our experts are here to support you, particularly where radioactive materials, regulatory oversight, or complex materials behaviour are involved, within a licensed, experienced, and audit-ready analytical capability in an academic setting.
Contact us to view or book this facility

ipandcommercial@plymouth.ac.uk

The gateway for external organisations to access the °µÍø½âÃÜ’s world-class research expertise, facilities and talent.
 

Facilities for research, innovation and learning

At °µÍø½âÃÜ, students can access cutting-edge laboratories that offer experience in real-world applications. Our facilities enhance learning, help develop practical skills, and foster collaboration on innovative projects, all preparing students to tackle complex challenges in their fields.
Our specialised equipment supports pioneering transdisciplinary research and commercial ventures, driving innovation, developing solutions to pressing global challenges, and making meaningful contributions to both industry and society.
 
Architecture students working with models in a °µÍø½âÃÜ studio